A Clean Break
by ang.han
Summary: Hermione wants a clean break with Draco, but is that really what's going to happen? ONE-SHOT; EWE


**A Clean Break**

Hermione always kept running to the one person she thought she had loathed. Draco Malfoy. He would take her in his arms, kiss her when she got upset, and stroke her hair and whisper words in her ears when she laid with him. But now, she was through with him. She had tried countless times before, to no avail, but she had to break it off with him. Completely.

In the evening, Draco entered the flat that he shared with Hermione, and immediately noticed that all of her things were gone. On the bare coffee table, there was a white letter with Hermione's neat handwriting on them. A sense of dread entering him, he picked up the envelope and tore it open. A letter was inside.

Dear Draco,

I can't do this anymore. I think it's better for the both of us if it's a clean break. Sorry and goodbye.

-Hermione

He grounded his teeth in anger, the letter scrunched up in his fist.

"Goddamit!" He growled in frustration, "why does she keep doing this to me?" He grabbed his cloak and swept out the door, headed for the bar.

That morning, Hermione transferred all of her things from her and Draco's shared flat to Harry and Ginny's house. When they opened the door and saw her there with her stuff, they shared an exasperated look and allowed her in. She had apologized for the inconvenience and Ginny muttered that she probably wouldn't stay long. She didn't have time to dwell the meaning behind those words. She didn't want to anyway.

She stared at the walls of the guest room dully, thinking about her relationship with Draco. It had started in her 8th year. Out of Harry, Ron, and herself, only she went back to Hogwarts. Harry and Ron were accepted into the Auror training program and so they didn't need to go back. All the children of the death eaters were required to go back as a form of reeducation. In the beginning, she and Ron tried staying together, but it didn't work out. She was lonely save for Ginny, but Ginny wasn't in many of her classes.

At first, she and Draco weren't friends at all, in fact, they hardly talked at all. But, given the course of time as well as a few forced partnerships, their relationship slowly began to develop into a friendly manner, and then a romantic one. Harry and Ron hadn't been happy with it, but Harry eventually accepted it, but Ron never did, and her friendship with Ron was never the same. _I bet Ron would be happy now that I've cut it off with Draco, _Hermione thought bitterly.

The whole day consisted of Hermione thinking of Draco. The house reminded her of her flat with Draco. She went outside to take a walk, and caught a glimpse of a man with whitish blonde, and all she could think of was Draco's blonde, silky locks. She went to the muggle world and saw a pair of jeans exactly like Draco's. Everywhere she went, he haunted her. Their life haunted her, and she was going slightly crazy.

That's it, she desperately needed to go to the bar.

The bar was as loud and as flashy as ever. All around her were bodies swaying to the music, all drunk or high or wild. The music was blasting at the loudest volume possible. The bartender worked mechanically, pouring drinks, collecting glasses, taking orders. The neon lights made Hermione feel nauseous as she gulped shot after shot of alcohol, unaware of a pair of eyes watching her. Her head was becoming dizzy, but her mind felt numb to the pain. A breakup was more painful than she thought it would be. A blue eyed man had edged close to her and tried to flirt with her. She looked at him, and for some reason, was overwhelmed with the picture of Draco's eyes, a molten silver. She shook her head and glared, disgusted, at the man. He quickly backed off.

The more she drank, the dizzier she got. Soon, she made her way to the dance floor, and started to move her body. No one tried to approach her as she danced to the music. The hard metal sound vibrated through her, into her heart, and weakened the pain. However, the feeling didn't last long. A mere few minutes after she started to dance, the music changed into a romantic song, and everyone seemed to have a partner.

Hermione drunkenly stumbled back to her seat and looked at the scene, revolted. She watched as couples danced, so close that they were practically one. As for those who were kissing, it reminded her of Ron and Lavender, as if they were trying to eat each other's faces off. Yet, the more Hermione stared at the dance floor, the more intense the ache in her heart was becoming. She should be there with Draco, kissing and dancing, laughing and talking. _No, _she told herself. _You wanted this._ But, that didn't diminish the longing for a partner. By now, Hermione was unable to think clearly.

She got to her feet and started pushing around the dance floor, shoving couples out of the way until she found the blue eyed man. He wasn't dancing, as she had expected, and was watching her. She didn't stop until she was pressed against him, and then pressed her lips against his with a ferocity that she didn't know existed in her. He responded immediately and they stayed like that, locked in a passionate embrace. Nearby, another man was watching with rage, his jaw locked, his eyes narrowed, yet he didn't move, just stayed there and watched. Waiting. Hermione was caught up in the feeling too much to rationally think about her decision. The man's, whose name she didn't even know, hand started to creep up her side. She pulled back abruptly, and pushed him off her. She backed up, staring at his shocked, aroused face. She tripped over someone and fell, but just before she hit the ground, a strong pair of arms caught her, and turned her over so she was staring at his face. The pair of silver eyes that she had been thinking about stared right back.

Draco forced a sobering potion down her throat and her head cleared instantly. Realizing what she had just done, she started to cry in his arms, embarrassed, ashamed, and frightened. Draco stroked her hair, whispered kind words, and kissed her tears away, like he always did. She was so confused; didn't she not want this? After her tears dried, Draco looked at her seriously. "Hermione, what do you want?" She was silent and unsure. Hadn't she wanted a clean break? But looking at him now, she was sure she didn't want that. So what did she want? It was rather obvious wasn't it.

"I want you," she said softly, "and I want you to take me home." He smiled his special smile, picked her up, and apparated her back to their flat. Yes, Hermione Granger did keep running back to Draco Malfoy.

**A/N: Just making this clear, I am not abandoning The Value of Being Sold, I just need to plan it a bit further. But, in the meanwhile, I'll probably write a few one or two shots and post them. Later****!**


End file.
